Tuesday, December 6, 2011

758. A dog owner asked about post-op spay care from Dr Sing

Pre-Operation Guidelines for Spaying your Dog.

. The best time to spay your female dog is 2 months after her heat and at an age over 6 months

• Schedule an appointment with your vet. A blood test to screen your dog's health is advised one day before surgery.
• Make sure your dog is healthy, eating & drinking well for the past 3 days before surgery
• Give your dog a good bath, and wash the surgery area well the day before surgery

• Your dog should not eat or drink after 10pm the day before surgery, or 12 hours before surgery to prevent vomiting and choking during anaesthesia
• Bring your dog to the vet in the morning so that you can collect it in the evening after the day surgery.

Operation Procedure

• Your dog will be weighed and examined before surgery.
Isoflurane gas anaesthesia and/or an injectable anaesthesia will be given according to your dog’s health and temperament.
• The spay operation take about 30 minutes if there are no complications like bleeding

Post-Operation Guidelines for Spaying you Dog.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What kind of food do I give, and when can I start feeding her?
If you take your dog home on the evening of the operation, it’s best to feed your dog the next day as there will be a possibility of vomiting due to the anaesthesia.

2. When can I bathe her?
Wait at least three days before bathing your dog. Cover up the wound with a water-proof plaster before bathing.

3. When do we remove the stitches?
Some vets use dissolvable stitches which will dissolve on its own, however, the vet may instruct you to return after 14 days to remove any remaining stitches.

4. What do I do in an emergency, or if the stitches break down?
If there is minor bleeding after a stitch tears apart, bandage the wound and bring your dog back to the vet as soon as you can. In case of emergency when the intestines can be seen or there is heavy bleeding, call your vet immediately.

5. When can I take off the Elizabeth Collar?
The E-Collar must be worn for 24 hours for 10-14 days, or until the stitches are completely removed.

6. Change the plaster protecting the wound on Day 2 if the vet has used a plaster.